Resources for Virginia From the Ground Up

George Washington's gristmill

Dogue Run - power source
for gristmill

excavating George
Washington's distillery (2004)

size of Washington's distillery
(cf. modern storage shed)

(click on images for larger versions)

Topics to Explore

who was "Vernon"?
is the mansion house built of stone? why, or why not? how does the mansion compare to Gunston Hall, George Mason's home?
did Washington grow up at Mount Vernon? why do you think he wanted to own it?
how did George Washington end up ownering this land? was it legitimate for him to include Mount Vernon in his will?
how did George Washington make a profit from Mount Vernon plantation operations? why did he stop growing tobacco for export? why did he build a grist mill and a distillery?
how did George Washington treat his slaves at Mount Vernon? were they treated as "property" in his will?
compare the burial sites of the Washington family and their slaves - if you owned Mount Vernon, would you change anything?
why was Mount Vernon not disturbed during the Revolutionary War in 1775-83, or the "War Between the States" in 1861-65?
who is responsible for the preservation of Mount Vernon? does the Federal government have a role, through direct grants or tax breaks?
what is the "opportunity" for Mount Vernon to re-establish a holiday in February as Washington's Birthday rather than President's Day?
what is the lost opportunity cost of keeping the land on the Maryland shore in its natural state?